Carmaker Recalls Over 400,000 SUVs Over Crash Risk From ‘Unintended Vehicle Movement

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Kia America, Inc. is recalling 427,407 Kia Telluride SUVs over concerns the vehicles may move while parked due to a faulty shaft engagement and thus crash, authorities said Tuesday.

The Irvine, California-based manufacturer said the intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft of each of the affected vehicles “may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier,” according to a document published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines,” the NHTSA document continued. “Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engaged.”

The affected vehicles thus faced an increased risk of a crash, according to the document.

(Read more from “Carmaker Recalls Over 400,000 SUVs Over Crash Risk From ‘Unintended Vehicle Movement” HERE)

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White House Does Ramadan but Bans Christian Symbols for Easter; Announces Blasphemous “Transgender Day of Visibility” for Easter

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The White House decided to prohibit the inclusion of Christian symbols in its annual Easter art event while simultaneously celebrating Ramadan. The controversy centers around the exclusion of religious Easter egg designs from children of the National Guard participating in the “Celebrating National Guard Families” art event.

According to the guidelines outlined in the contest flyer, submissions for Easter egg designs must refrain from featuring religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements.

This decision has raised eyebrows, especially considering the juxtaposition with the White House’s recognition and celebration of Ramadan, a significant Islamic holiday. The White House has a long-standing tradition of commemorating Easter.

The flyer for the art contest emphasizes the theme of “Celebrating our Military Families,” encouraging children from National Guard families to submit artwork reflecting their own lives. Selected designs are to be painted on real eggs by talented artists and displayed at the White House during the Easter and Passover season.

However, the guidelines also stipulate that designs must not promote “bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm against any group or individual” or discriminate based on various factors, including religion. The guidelines resulted in the exclusion of Christian representation, undermining the diversity of religious expression.

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President Biden’s Blasphemous Easter “Transgender Day of Visibility” Proclamation:

On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives.

I am proud that my Administration has stood for justice from the start, working to ensure that the LGBTQI+ community can live openly, in safety, with dignity and respect. I am proud to have appointed transgender leaders to my Administration and to have ended the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in our military. I am proud to have signed historic Executive Orders that strengthen civil rights protections in housing, employment, health care, education, the justice system, and more. I am proud to have signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that every American can marry the person they love.

Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our Nation. Whether serving their communities or in the military, raising families or running businesses, they help America thrive. They deserve, and are entitled to, the same rights and freedoms as every other American, including the most fundamental freedom to be their true selves. But extremists are proposing hundreds of hateful laws that target and terrify transgender kids and their families — silencing teachers; banning books; and even threatening parents, doctors, and nurses with prison for helping parents get care for their children. These bills attack our most basic American values: the freedom to be yourself, the freedom to make your own health care decisions, and even the right to raise your own child. It is no surprise that the bullying and discrimination that transgender Americans face is worsening our Nation’s mental health crisis, leading half of transgender youth to consider suicide in the past year. At the same time, an epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, especially women and girls of color, continues to take too many lives. Let me be clear: All of these attacks are un-American and must end. No one should have to be brave just to be themselves.

At the same time, my Administration is working to stop the bullying and harassment of transgender children and their families. The Department of Justice has taken action to push back against extreme and un-American State laws targeting transgender youth and their families and the Department of Justice is partnering with law enforcement and community groups to combat hate and violence. My Administration is also providing dedicated emergency mental health support through our nationwide suicide and crisis lifeline — any LGBTQI+ young person in need can call “988” and press “3” to speak with a counselor trained to support them. We are making public services more accessible for transgender Americans, including with more inclusive passports and easier access to Social Security benefits. There is much more to do. I continue to call on the Congress to pass the Equality Act, to codify civil rights protections for all LGBTQI+ Americans.

Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Here’s the link for this disgusting statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/03/29/a-proclamation-on-transgender-day-of-visibility-2024/

Trump Appeals Ruling Allowing Willis to Remain on Election Case

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Former President Trump and eight co-defendants asked a state appeals court on Friday to review a judge’s ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williams to stay on the election interference case. . .

“DA Willis has covered herself and her office in scandal and disrepute, as she has squandered her credibility and repeatedly and flagrantly violated the heightened ethical standards demanded of her position,” the appeal states.

On Friday, Trump and eight of his co-defendants filed an application with the Georgia Court of Appeals urging it to take up the case, insisting Willis has a personal stake in the case and must step aside. The move was expected after McAfee handed down a decision enabling the defense to attempt to appeal his ruling before trial.

“While the trial court factually found DA Willis’s out-of-court statements were improper and Defendants proved an apparent conflict of interest, the trial court erred as a matter of law by not requiring dismissal and DA Willis’ disqualification,” the application reads. “This legal error requires the Court’s immediate review.”

(Read more from “Trump Appeals Ruling Allowing Willis to Remain on Election Case” HERE)

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NEW: Latest Fox Poll Shows Biggest Lead Ever For…

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The latest Fox News national survey shows former President Donald Trump pushing out to his largest general election lead in the history of the polling series — in any of the three cycles in which Trump has run. His advantage over incumbent President Joe Biden sits at five percentage points in this data set, both in the head-to-head matchup (Trump hits 50 percent on this question) and the ‘crowded field’ scenario. For what it’s worth, Trump’s lead in a hypothetical battle against Vice President Kamala Harris is slightly larger, at six percentage points.

Here are the top line outcomes from Fox’s fresh numbers:

As the above tweet notes — ‘below the fold’ — Fox’s pollster projected an eight-point Biden popular vote victory in 2020. The actual margin ended up being 4.5 points. Trump is now up by five, boosted by a double-digit advantage among independents. By 30 points, voters tell Fox’s pollster that they’re worse off financially than they were four years ago, compared to better off. The ‘worse off’ contingent includes majorities of white, black and hispanic voters. Biden is personally less popular on favorability (-21) than Trump is (-9) right now, too. A pair of other nationwide polls also show Trump in the lead over Biden, including the Daily Mail (Trump +4) and Forbes (Trump +3). (Read more from “NEW: Latest Fox Poll Shows Biggest Lead Ever For…” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Officers Arrest Fugitive Influencer Who Encouraged Migrants to Squat in Homes: Report

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have reportedly arrested a TikTok influencer who encouraged illegal migrants to squat in Americans’ homes.

Leonel Moreno, who went viral after telling illegal migrants to take over properties in the U.S., was reportedly taken into federal custody on Friday after ICE’s Fugitive Ops team arrested him in Columbus, Ohio, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported, citing an unnamed ICE official.

Moreno illegally crossed the southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas, in April 2022 before being registered with the Alternatives for Detention program, the New York Post reported. The illegal migrant was then categorized as an “absconder” after failing to abide by the program’s rules, which included being tracked by federal authorities using ankle monitors and other methods, according to internal ICE documents cited by the Post.

(Read more from “Officers Arrest Fugitive Influencer Who Encouraged Migrants to Squat in Homes: Report” HERE)

Creep Tries to Kidnap Boy in Front of Father Before Good Samaritans Step in to Help

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An 8-year-old California boy was nearly kidnapped in front of his parents on the day the family was celebrating opening their new business, frightening video showed.

Christopher Aaron Higginbotham, 38, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and false imprisonment charges on Friday after a security camera showed him allegedly grab Adrian Villanueva’s son and try to run off with him, according to NBC San Diego.

Villanueva was watching his son play outside his new deli in Ocean Beach on March 22 when he noticed Higginbotham acting bizarrely, pacing back and forth outside his store.

Villanueva was keeping a close eye on his son and Higginbotham when things quickly took a turn for the worse.

In the blink of an eye, Higginbotham allegedly grabbed Villanueva’s son right in front of him and fled with the boy toward the street. (Read more from “Creep Tries to Kidnap Boy in Front of Father Before Good Samaritans Step in to Help” HERE)

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New Polling Reveals Why Dems Are Freaking out Over RFK Jr.’s Candidacy

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New national and battleground state polling indicate why Democrats are concerned that independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy could be a spoiler for President Joe Biden’s reelection bid.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is ramping up efforts against Kennedy and other third-party candidates in hopes of deterring them from siphoning off votes from Biden’s base. Recent polling has found the independent pulling more support from Biden than Trump, which is contrary to survey data that followed Kennedy’s departure from the Democratic Party in early October.

Trump’s lead grows slightly from one point to 2.4 points nationally when Kennedy, “Justice for All Party” candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein are on the ballot, according to the RealClearPolitics (RCP) averages. For a three-way race with Kennedy, Trump’s margin widens to 5.4 points.

Additionally, the former president’s advantages increase when Kennedy and the other third-party candidates are included in swing states like Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, according to the RCP averages.

Trump’s lead over Biden jumps from 5.2 points to six points in Arizona; three points to six points in Nevada; 0.8 points to 2.7 points in Wisconsin; 0.2 points to two points in Pennsylvania; 4.4 points to 6.7 points in North Carolina; and 5.2 points to 7.4 points in Georgia. (Read more from “New Polling Reveals Why Dems Are Freaking out Over RFK Jr.’s Candidacy” HERE)

Man Arrested With Handgun Outside Of Church Charged With Attempted Church Shooting

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A 35-year-old man has been charged with attempting to shoot up a Virginia church after he allegedly posted threatening messages about the church online and showed up to the church on Sunday with a semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines.

Rui Jiang was charged by the Department of Justice on Thursday with attempted obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, use and carry of a firearm during a crime of violence, and making threats. Jiang was arrested on September 24, 2023, outside of the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia, allegedly carrying a handgun and two loaded magazines after a member of the church had alerted authorities about concerning social media posts threatening violence he had reportedly made.

Police searched Jiang’s apartment and say they found five copies of a letter indicating that men in the church would be targeted in the shooting. “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do. May your tears not be cried in vain, but to celebrate how your loved ones had lived,” the letter said.

The letter indicated that Jiang was angry about not being able to get into a romantic relationship. He was previously charged in February over the alleged threats.

An affidavit in support of his arrest from an FBI agent who investigated the case included several of the social media posts that raised concerns and illustrated anger toward God and the church. The FBI spoke with police who had been alerted about the troubling social media posts. (Read more from “Man Arrested With Handgun Outside Of Church Charged With Attempted Church Shooting” HERE)

Mafia Crime Wave in Israel Drives Christians From Nazareth

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The centuries-old Christian population in the holy city of Nazareth is slowly disappearing because of a mafia crime wave sweeping northern Israel.

Mafia gang members reportedly harass Christian store owners in the northern Israeli city and demand the equivalent of thousands of pounds in protection money.

Their numbers are reported to have grown since the outbreak of the Gaza war despite the deployment of Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security agency, last year and extra police patrols.

“In Nazareth, the mafia will shoot at the stores, then tell them they need ‘chawa’ [protection]. It’s like the Wild West,” said Peter Roshrash, a senior police inspector who has covered Nazareth for decades. . .

Although by 1948 – the year of Israel’s independence war – the majority of Nazarenes were Christian, today, they comprise only 20 per cent. (Read more from “Mafia Crime Wave in Israel Drives Christians From Nazareth” HERE)

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‘Jesus Paid It All’: Conservative Lawmakers, More Observe Good Friday

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Christians on Friday observed Good Friday — the day Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, paid the ultimate penalty for sin by dying on the cross for all of mankind, reconciling humanity with God — as some political figures triumphantly declared that “Jesus paid it all.”

The Gospel of Luke tells it this way:

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

(Read more from “‘Jesus Paid It All’: Conservative Lawmakers, More Observe Good Friday” HERE)